HOW TO TRAVEL SAFLEY DURING A PANDEMIC
By Farida Nsona
With lockdown slowly being eased, more of us are thinking of going on a getaway to bring a little sun shine in such a generally dull year.
However, with coronavirus still being a threat in today’s world, it is essential that we still protect ourselves and others whilst travelling.
Obviously we would all use our common sense and follow government guidelines when travelling or planning to travel. After recently returning from a trip to France, I can share a little of my experiences whilst travelling and more specifically travelling to a country that is on the government quarantine list.
Unfortunately for myself, France was added onto the UK government quarantine list the night before I was meant to travel, meaning it was too late to cancel my trip. So that would be my first piece of advice, to check the policy behind your trip and make sure you are able to cancel it free of charge if needs be. Make sure you have made allowances in case it is added on to the list whilst you are away, as that would mean having to self-isolate for 14 days upon your return. This also means possibly speaking to your work and making preliminary arrangements to perhaps work from home or see what their policy is regarding paying you for the 14 days that you are required to self-isolate.
When ready to embark on your trip make sure you do not forget to wear a mask, the blue surgical ones are best; along with gloves (just my personal preference) and have some anti-bacterial gel or wipes to hand. Most public transport will not allow you on unless you have a mask or face covering.
Unfortunately I travelled the least conventional way (and cheapest for me at the time) and went by coach. During a pandemic, travelling by coach is extremely long and unless you have the patience for it I definitely would not recommend it. I had to wear a mask for the entire journey, we were not permitted to eat or drink on the coach and all toilets on the coach and the bus station when we arrived in Paris were all shut. So if you can go an 8 hour or so journey without eating, drinking or peeing then this is the way for you!
A couple of days after I arrived in France, I took a test just to make sure that I had not caught coronavirus on the journey and was unknowingly spreading it. Thankfully, it came back negative so I could somewhat enjoy the rest of my holiday. In some areas of France, the social distancing rules were enforced a lot stricter than in others so it was just a matter of gauging when it was appropriate to wear a mask. Personally, I made sure that I wore a mask in all public areas only taking it off when necessary and sanitising my hands (up to my elbows if I could) at every opportunity. Whilst this may seem like a pain, it doesn’t need to stifle your fun!
Upon my return I followed the same procedure; however most importantly, when returning to the UK you have to fill in a government return to the UK form. This is to ensure that the track and trace service is enabled; and also to ensure that those returning from quarantine countries are aware of the procedure once they return to the UK. When I was returning to the UK I was told it was crucial to have the form filled out at least 48 hours before returning. Even though, my form was never checked at border control like suggested, I would strongly recommend you being prepared and having it filled out. If anything this helps with the track and trace system in the UK. Also, the airport border control may be a lot vigorous than the ferry/ Eurotunnel border control.
Once back in the UK and following guidelines to self-isolate, I decided to order a home coronavirus test kit (as I had been exposed to those that had tested positive); fortunately for me this was also negative. However, unless you have been to a quarantine listed country and you experienced symptoms or feel ill you are not required to self-isolate for 14 days.
Primarily, whilst it is safe to do so travel as much as you can! However, be prepared to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and of the greater public. I would advise picking a country that is not on the UK quarantine list 1) because you will then know the number of coronavirus cases are controlled there and 2) because you will not be required to self-isolate when you come back. The ultimate key to travelling during a pandemic, is something that we all do and have to use in our day to day lives in order to protect ourselves and that is using our common sense. With social distancing in place there a number of things that you can still enjoy whilst travelling. Being a massive foodie I was able to eat at some nice places in France including a Brazilian restaurant and a creperie that made authentic crepes and fresh cider. But I was also able to be the classic tourist and visit world famous sights in Paris such as the Louvre, the Arc de Triumph and the iconic Eiffel tower safely. In order to make the most of your experiences, I would recommend booking any tours in advance.
Whilst it may seem like I have regurgitated a load of rules and guidelines, this is the best way to travel safely in these times. A lot of you reading this, like myself are under the scrutiny of the government who claim young people are the cause of the mass spread of the virus. I know in my case this isn’t true, and we should all be able to have fun but live with a clean conscience knowing we did our part.